The term for providing water is a verbal noun, like the terms for care and protection.

His saying: “and the maintenance of the Sacred Mosque equal to one who believes in Allah and the Last Day”—contains an ellipsis. Its full sense is: Have you made the giving of water to the pilgrims and the maintenance of the Sacred Mosque equal to the faith of one who believes in Allah and the striving of one who strives in the way of Allah?

It has also been said that “providing water” and “maintenance” here mean the one who provides water and the one who maintains. Thus, the meaning is: Have you made the provider of water to the pilgrims and the maintainer of the Sacred Mosque equal to one who believes in Allah and the Last Day and strives in the way of Allah? This is like His saying, exalted is He: “And the final outcome is for the righteous,” that is, for those who are mindful of Allah. This is supported by the readings of Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr and Ubayy ibn Ka‘b: “Have you made the water-providers to the pilgrims and the maintainers of the Sacred Mosque...,” using plural forms for the provider of water and the maintainer.

“...equal to one who believes in Allah and the Last Day and strives in the way of Allah? They are not equal in the sight of Allah, and Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people.” Abd al-Wahid ibn Ahmad al-Malihi informed us; Ahmad ibn Abd Allah al-Nu‘aymi informed us; Muhammad ibn Yusuf informed us; Muhammad ibn Isma‘il narrated to us; Ishaq ibn Ibrahim narrated to me; Abu Usamah narrated to us; Yahya ibn Muhallab narrated to us, from Husayn, from Ikrimah, from Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them, that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, came to the place where water was provided and asked for a drink. Al-Abbas said, “O Fadl, go to your mother and bring the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, a drink from her.” ⦗154/a⦘ He said, “Give me a drink.” Al-Abbas said, “O Messenger of Allah, they put their hands into it.” He said, “Give me a drink,” so he drank from it. Then he came to Zamzam, where they were drawing water and working, and he said, “Carry on, for you are engaged in a righteous deed.” Then he said, “Were it not that you would be overwhelmed, I would come down and place the rope upon this,” gesturing toward his shoulder. (1)

Isma‘il ibn Abd al-Qahir informed us; Abd al-Ghafir ibn Muhammad informed us; Muhammad ibn Isa al-Juludi narrated to us; Ibrahim ibn Muhammad ibn Sufyan narrated to us, from Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj; Muhammad ibn Minhal al-Darir narrated to me; Yazid ibn Zuray‘ narrated to us; Humayd al-Tawil narrated to us, from Bakr ibn Abd Allah al-Muzani, who said: I was sitting with Ibn Abbas by the Ka‘bah when a Bedouin came to him and said, “Why do I see your cousins giving honey and milk to drink, while you give nabidh, a fruit infusion? Is this because you are in need, or because you are miserly?” Ibn Abbas replied, “Praise be to Allah! We are neither in need nor miserly. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, came upon his riding beast with Usamah behind him and asked for a drink. We brought him a vessel of nabidh; he drank from it and gave its remainder to Usamah to drink. He said, ‘You have done well and acted excellently; continue to do so.’ Therefore, we do not wish to alter what the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, commanded.” (2)